Automatic feeding means for shakers



Patenfed 1m. 27, 1921.

P. STERLING. AUTOMATIC FEEDING MEANS FOR SHAKERS.

mrrucmou' FILEDYJULY 5. 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC FEEDING MEANS FOR SHAKERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

Application filed July 5, 1919; Serial No. 308,792.

T 0 all 'w from it may concern.

Be it known that I, SPAUL STERLING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Feeding Means for Shakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic feeding means for shakers employed for sepa rating a mixture of particles of various and different sizes, as for instance coal, and it has for one of its ob'iects to provide means for feeding the coa or other material to be separated and sized more unlformly onto the screen structure. By regulating the feed of the coal or other materail so as to deliver it more uniformly to the shaker, as is racticable by my invention, I have found that the capacity of the shaker may be very materially increased.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means for regulating the feed of the material to be separated or sized onto the screen.

It is also.an object of myinvention to provide a simple device which may be economically built; also one which not only may be embodied and included in a new structure, but also one which may be applied or attached to a shaker already 1n operation or use.

Other objects and advantages of my 1nvention will be pointed out in the detailed description thereof which follows or will be apparent from such descrlption.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a art of the specification, n WhlCh I have illustrated one convenient form of embodiment of the same. It should be understood, however, that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms of construction than that shown and that changes in the details of construction and in the manner of or means employed for adjusting thefeeding means to control the feed of the material to the shaker may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from myinventlon.

In the said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a portion of a shaker structure and showing my inyentlon associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a shaker structure provided with an automatic feeding device embodying my invention; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the feeding do vice showing a modified construction of means for effecting adjustment of attachments to the sides thereof to vary the cross sectional area of the delivery end of said feeding device.

Referring to the drawing: 1 and 2 designate a couple of pairs of screens connected together and supported in known manner by depending rods or strips 3 and 4. These screens are respectively provided with holes in the bottoms thereof, the sizes of the holes gradually decreasing from the top to the bottom screen so that each screen will collect coal or particles of other material of uniform size, differing however in size from the coal or other material collected on other screens. The vibratory or shaking movements of the screens are effected by means of the connecting rods 5 and 6, said rods being connected at one end respectively to the screens 1 and 2 and at their other ends to eccentrics 7. Rotation of these eccentrics causes vibratory movement of the separating screens.

I shall now proceed with a description of my invention which comprises a chute like section having sides 10 and 11 and a bottom 12, the latter being secured by means of the bolts or otherwise to the cross members 13 and 14 secured to the upper edges of the side frame members 15 and 16 of the shaker construction. As will be obscrved, the delivery or feeding member comprising the sides 10 and 11 and bottom 12 is shorter than the shaker structure and the rear end 20 thereof terminates but a short distance from the rear end of the shaker screen structure. The forwardv end of the member. secured to the cross pieces 13 and 14 and from which coal or other material to be separated and sized is delivered onto the shaker extends underneath the lower end of a chute 21, a portion only of which is shown, .by means of which coal or other material to be separated and sized is delivered to the said feeding means. Preferably the chute 21 is relatively short so as not to hold and feed a long column of coal, the pressure of which would cause the coal or other material to be delivered too freely and in too large quantities upon the feeding device.

If this should happen the proper feeding of the coal or other material from the feeding device would be interfered with.

It will be observed that the feeding device vibrates with the shaker structure and that in consequence it has relative move ment with respect to and underneath the chute 21.

In order to properly regulate and control the delivery or feeding of the coal or other material from the feeding device, I have provided means whereby the angle or inclination of the said device may be varied and controlled. If it is desired to cause a more rapid feeding of the'material from the said feeding device, a filler block 25 as shown may be inserted upon the cross piece 14: between the latter and the feeding device. This raises the front end of the feeding device, causing its bottom to incline toward the rear of the structure, which is the delivery end of the feeding device, so that the material tends to slide freely and rapidly therefrom onto the shaker. If, however, it is desired to deliver the material more slowly from the feeding device, the filler block 25 may be removed and the feeding device supported in a horizontal position; or if desired, therear end of the said feeding device may be raised so that it may occupy a position higher than the front end. It is apparent that in this way the speed of delivery of the coal or other material from the feeding-device may be varied.

It will be understood that the angular adjustment of the feeding device may be effected by any other desirably preferred means and also that the position of the feeding device with respect to the shaker screens may be changed from what is shown in the drawing. In such case it would follow that the position of the delivery chute 21 with respect to the shaker structure would likewise be changed because it would have to change to conform to the position of the feeding device.

I have also provided means for adjusting and varying the cross sectional. area of the rear delivery end of the feeding means to thereby vary the volume or quantity of coal or other material delivered therefrom onto the shaker. The means employed by me con sists of two adjustable plates 30 secured at their front ends to the sides 10 and 11 of the feeding device by means of rivets 31 or otherwise as may be preferred. The lower edges of these adjustable plates 30 are provided with outwardly turned flanges as shown at 32. These flanges are provided with holes as indicated which are adanted to be moved into registry with holes 3 f in the rear end portion of the bottom 12 of the feeding device. The rear end portions of the plates may be moved in or out so as to bring the holes in the flanges 32 into registry with the holes 34 in the bottom 12 of the feeding device. The said adjustable plates may be held in such position by means of bolts 35.

In Fig. 3 l have shown a different mean-s of efiiecting adjustment of the rear end portions of the adjustable plates 3 The means employed for that purpose in this figure consists of a couple of bolts ll) as shown, each of which is secured at one end to a plate 30 and at its opposite end extends through the sides 10 and 11 of the feeding device. These latter ends are screw threaded as shown and by means of adjusting nuts -l l. the said bolts may be moved in or out to effect like movement of the ai'ljusialile plates 80.

In operation, as already indicated, the feeding device vibrates back and forth with the shaker structure. The forward cnd ol' the said feeding device vibrates relatively to the lower delivery end of the cliutc Q]. the feeding device is moved away from the chute 21 carrying with it the coal which has been delivered thereto, there will be l'orincd. as it were, a vacuum or void at the lower cnd of the chute 21. which will be lillcd by coal or other material from the chute E21. t'pon the next movement of the feeding dcvicc toward the front. that is, toward the chute Ql. the coal or other material will be pushed rearwardly upon the said feeding device and will be discharged or delivered from the rcar open end thereof. By angularly adjusting the feeding device the speed of the dclivcrv of the material therefron'i may be varicd and by adjusting the adjustable side plates 30. as '1 on above described, to vary the cross sectional area of the delivery end of the feeding device, the volume of coal or other material dcliv ered may be varied and controlled.

By thus being enabled to control and regulate the feed or delivery of the coal onto the shaker, I am enabled to increase the capacity of a shaker, which is a desideratum greatly to be desired.

I claim:

In an apparatus for separating or s zing coal and other like material, thc combiuat ion of a reciprocating shaker structure, a troughlike feeding device secured thereto and rccip rocating therewith, means for varying the position of said feeding device with rcspcct to a horizontal plane. adjustable side plates at the delivery end of said device, means for adjusting said plates inwardly and onlwardly, a. chute for delivering material to said feeding device, the lower end of said chute extending between the sides of the said trough-like feeding device and terminating in proximity to the bottom thereof. substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto signed my name this 24th day of June. A. D. l 919. 

